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Transition Toolkit

The Importance of Positive Open Communication

General Information

Gifting Guidelines

Transition Program Ideas

Transition Toolkit

 

List of PTA/PTSA local units

PTA/PTSA Programs

Transitions Toolkit

 

The Issaquah School District is growing. Beginning in Fall 2010, Issaquah will have two new schools: Creekside Elementary and Pacific Cascade Middle School. Some students will be required to change schools as the district undergoes a reboundary process to accomodate the new enrollment patterns. New PTAs are being formed. This page is provided as a resource for PTA presidents and members in the effected schools.

 

The Importance of Positive Open Communication

Open communication between home and school is vital to working as a partnership in solving problems, or resolving issues or concerns that arise. In order for this to take place we must continue to maintain a learning community that promotes a safe, respectful, nurturing culture for all. A culture where all members of our learning community, students, staff, and parents, feel free to openly share ideas, are able to resolve issues in a respectful manner at a time and place that are appropriate, and work together to solve problems.

As adults, we can help to create this culture by modeling respectful and effective communication strategies and problem-solving to our children. The Issaquah School District’s Civility Policy encourages us to do just that. In addition, the policy helps us to accomplish our goal of open communication between home and school. If an issue or conflict arises that you would like to address with a member of our learning community, the following steps will help ensure a positive interaction:

  1. Work out issues of concern promptly.
  2. Go to the source. Schedule an appointment with the individual directly involved to resolve the issue and ask clarifying questions regarding what you may have seen or heard.
  3. Choose an appropriate time and place to conduct the meeting.
  4. Present ideas in a respectful manner and remain open to the other person’s point of view.
  5. If the issue is not resolved, seek assistance from the principal.

Working together, we can continue to maintain open and honest communication between home and school.

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General Transition Information

Budget:

March 11, 2010 – final state budget is scheduled to be released

$5 million projected cut to our district budget this year

Last year - $7.3 million cut

I-728 – this funding is completely gone. This money was mandated to fund 5 separate things, one of them being class size

Changing class size by one (1) is approximately $2 million in savings

Reduction in Force (RIF) –

  • teachers must be notified contractually by April 20 if they will be laid off.
  • RIFing will happen after state budget is released (between March 11 and April 20)
  • RIFing will be very close to accurate
  • RIFing will not look like last year
  • We will do our best to give PTA leaders a heads up on timing

Learning Improvement Days (LID) –

  • Days used for teacher training on various things
  • State has cut support for all LID
  • Background – state originally funded 4 days, cut funding to 2 days, cut funding this year to 1 day, next year no funding
  • Issaquah – pay for 3 days prior to start of school (professional days). Includes 1.5 training days and 1.5 prep days

Organization

  • Millions of things to organize and juggle
  • Movement of classrooms
  • Movement of teachers
  • Course offerings
  • Number of staff

Enrollment

  • Charts (current feeder pattern 2009/10, fall 2010 feeder pattern, fall 2010 enrollment numbers)
  • Tool on website - Plug in address and shows attendance school for fall 2010
  • Some bell time changes are possible – driven by transportation efficiency
  • Prepare for some confusion and misinterpretations

District Programs:

Science Tech Program (4th and 5th grades)

  • Sunny Hills Science Tech Program is moving to Cascade Ridge
  • Clark and Briarwood Science Tech Program will stay at those schools

Merlin (3rd through 5th grade)

  • Apollo and Endeavour

All Day Kindergarten

  • More opportunities should be available

Teachers:

  • Movement between schools
  • Increased class size
  • Schools working together for best student placement

Principals:

  • Work together with PTA leadership
  • Share communication tools
  • Help to pack/unpack boxes, etc. – varies by school as to needs
  • Help talk about parent perspective
  • Work with principals on community gatherings

Communications:

  • Develop FAQ list
  • Sharing articles in newsletters
  • Comprehensive database by school

PTSA Programs:

  • Examples will posted on Council website
  • Think about special welcomes – spring, August, and/or September

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Transition Program Ideas

Transition Program Ideas and Miscellaneous

  • An open house in August (2010) would give children and parents an opportunity to meet the teachers and see the school.
  • When elementary students go to middle school, there is a visit day when they go to their new school while students are present; and that really helps.
  • The PTSAs of sending and receiving schools can partner to make a real difference for students and parents. The receiving school’s PTSA can invite their new parents to meetings and events throughout the year before they move; they can select their officers for the next year from that broader pool.
  • The schools can send their newsletters to their new families the year before they move, invite them to school events and encourage parents to become involved.
  • The schools can host open houses with student-led tours and something like an ice cream social, to give students and their parents an opportunity to see the school and meet the teachers.
  • Schools and PTSAs can support parents whose children who are moving by establishing a transition committee to provide information about the move and about how they can make it a positive experience for their children.
  • Before the end of the 2009-2010 school year, they should take students on field trips to their new schools – make it seem really special, give them an opportunity to see kids in action, let them meet and talk with new classmates so they won’t be so nervous that fall.
  • It’s important that families understand well in advance what the changes are and why the boundaries are changing. They need information about their new school and about things like bus routes as soon as possible.
    The youth sports organizations can help transition kids by the way they form teams, so kids have an opportunity to get to know kids in their new schools ahead of time.
  • Remember the students who will move for their last year of elementary school or middle school; they will need extra support.
  • Placement/Input forms–
  • Logo/Spirit wear sale at tour/ice cream social – pick up in August
  • The families who will go to Creekside are moving too; the district should keep them informed about the progress of the construction project so they feel a part of it and begin to develop a sense of school community.
  • The district should set up a webpage where parents can enter their address and find their new elementary school or middle school. Effective communications tools and accessible, accurate information are important to all families.
  • The district must consider the extra secretarial workload the transition will place on schools, especially a school like Sunny Hills, which will experience a lot of movement.
  • When our school was created mid-year, our students each made a flower and took it to the new school; it would be nice if students who move feel they are bringing something to their new schools.
  • We will have a new middle school in 2010 too, and we need to bring parents together to create the best milieu possible there.
  • Some parents are very disappointed about the boundary changes, and that can rub off on children because we model for them. There should be an information tool to help parents make their child’s transition to a new school appositive experience. Maybe parents who have gone through this can help parents who face it for the first time.
  • Inviting parents to visit the new school can relieve their anxiety, and that would help children.
  • Some students who walk now will be riding buses, and that is another kind of transition for children and parents.
  • It’s important to focus on communication to students and their families, but we have a bigger community that also needs information. For one thing, the district must inform Realtors about the new boundaries as soon as possible so there are fewer surprises for new homeowners.
  • PTAs can look at the programs at other schools/PTAs for fresh ideas.
  • PTAs might think about a one time, family oriented community event. Many ideas are free or have a nominal cost – ice cream social, bingo night, sock hop, etc.
  • We must be aware of the dynamics for the schools whose population will be changing significantly in numbers as having a lower student population will change the dynamics as well.

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PTSA to PTSA Gifting Guidelines

Philosophy: Fundraising dollars should be used in the year within which they are raised.

Categories:

1 – Redistribution/reboundary of students

  • Money does not follow students, money is part of the organization
  • Think of sharing ideas of programs and events that students enjoy to give them some continuity

2 -  New PTSA in established school

  • This PTA may already have an established library, emergency prep supplies, etc
  • Every school, including feeder schools, should consider a small gift of $50-$100 dollars for startup costs or any other amount that feels appropriate to your Board of Directors

3 – Brand New PTSA in new school

  • Typically feeder school PTAs give larger gifts
  • Every school should think about a gift of $100-200 dollars
  • Gifts other than money can be helpful.
    • Offering to help plan or run an event that parents who are leaving your school to go to the new one like
    • Offering to help with back to school plans, teacher back to school lunch
    • Offering books or vouchers, equipment, supplies such as napkins or notebooks 

Learnings:

Potential Challenges:

  • Auctions that can fund operating and program expenses for more than one year could experience decreased success as their donation is not being used during their child’s tenure.
  • Spring fundraisers (e.g. walk-a-thon)

Money does not follow students!

  • Money should be spent in year it was collected
  • Fundraising should not happen for fundraising sake, there should be targeted goals that members are aware of (e.g. teacher support, grants, curriculum enhancements – the more specific the better)
  • Be thoughtful of what you raise money for as items that their student cannot participate in the following year aren’t good choices (e.g. playground equipment). It might be better to wait a year.

Be aware of what feelings members might have:

  • Hard feelings arise when parents have donated time and money to fund items that their student will not benefit from
  • Parents are afraid that the new school won’t have the great programs and events that they have loved at their current school.
  • A member may make a motion at any General Membership meeting to give a greater gift or a smaller gift. Suggestions for handling this situation:
    • Table discussion and form committee to thoughtfully come up with recommendation
    • Update standing rules to state that budget changes over a certain dollar amount must be posted 10 days prior to the General Membership meeting.

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Transitions Toolkit

  • Sample Transition Letter to Families, by Jodi Bongard (Word) (PDF)
  • In 2006 Endeavour Elementary PTA won a Washington State PTA "Taking Significant Action Award" for their successful transitions program to ease community concerns over district reboundary affecting three school communities: Endeavour, Discovery, and Cascade Ridge Elementary Schools.
    • How to Survive a Boundary Change - Endeavour Transitions for school year 2006-07 - “Courage to Change” (Word) (PDF)
    • Sample Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (Word) (PDF)
  • Helpful Hints from Issaquah Middle School (Word) (PDF)

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